Laundry Stripping...Love Laundry Day Again!

A stack of crisply folded tea towels

A freshly made bed

A gleaming white pillow case.

I love laundry day. 

It’s the promise of a new beginning.

But, in the age of HE washing machines and super concentrated liquid laundry detergent, laundry doesn’t always come out looking (or smelling) clean. Over time, our fabrics develop a film of soap residue in spite of washing. Our HE washers use so little water that highly concentrated liquid soap doesn’t rinse out completely. Despite washing, clothes and linens begin to feel kind of sticky. They seem to have embedded stains (think face cloths or sheets) or smells (the funky tea towel or athletic wear).

Laundry stripping is relatively simple solution. It does a deep clean, removing soap residue and embedded stains.

I’ve searched up a number of different methods. Here’s how I do it.

What you’ll need:

• A deep sink, laundry tub, or bathtub
• A tool for stirring (I use a repurposed long-handled kitchen brush that once washed dishes)
• 1/4 c baking soda
• 1/4 c borax
• 1/2 c washing soda (I use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda)
• 8L hot water

These can be bought at your local Canadian Tire (insert pic of ingredients and tools)

The quick method:

• Fill your sink with hot water (I often do a blend of tap and water boiled from the kettle. I never measure the water; I just kind of eyeball it….if the water doesn’t allow for all of the laundry to be submerged, I add more)
• Add the baking soda, borax and washing soda
• Give it a stir
• Add the offending garments. In my experience, the fewer at a time, the better (up to 8 face cloths, 6 tea towels or 3 pieces of athletic wear)
• Stir
• Stir at regular intervals (I.e.every 15 minutes) until the water cools to room temperature
• Marvel at the colour of the water (like weak tea)
• Rinse clothes well (you don’t want all that sludge back into your washing machine). You can rinse by hand or put your clothes through a hot rinse cycle in your machine
• Wash as usual.
• Marvel at how clean and fresh they are!

A deeper clean:

• Wash the offending garments first in your washing machine on a hot cycle
• Use all of the ingredients for the quick method above though use freshly boiled water
• Stir once hourly until the water returns to room temperature (about 5 hours)
• Rinse and wash as in the quick method.

A word of caution:

In m experience, hard-working linens and clothes are good candidates for laundry stripping. Think:

• Tea towels
• Hand towels,
• Pillow cases
• Athletic wear
• Face cloths

Avoid stippling delicate or one-of-a-kind heirlooms (like grandma’s silk handkerchiefs).

In addition to laundry stripping, you can ensure your HE washer is doing its best by following these simple practices:

• Use only the recommended dosage of liquid laundry detergent for your machine; adding more soap won't fix the problem
• Be sure to use the sanitize cycle when your machine requires it
• Drain the water from the tube at the lower part of your machine on a regular basis
• Don't overload your machine on washing day

I’ve found that laundry stripping gives a renewed sense of accomplishment on laundry day. Search it up; or just try what you’ve learned here). I’m happy to hear your comments.